The King and I
by Starbucksmocha
Summary: Completely AU Sarkney. Julian Sark needs to be engaged in order to be the King and Sydney always wanted to see Europe at its finest. Match made in heaven? Not likely...
1. Default Chapter

Title: The King and I (the title of the story is a complete coincidence – the plot of this fic has little to no relevance to the plot of the movie!)

Author: Starbucksmocha

Discliamer: I own nothing! Nada! Zip! Zilch!

Rating: PG

Summary: Completely AU. Sark/Sydney. Spoiler warnings for those who haven't seen season 3. The plot of this came from a TV show I saw – I didn't exactly know what was going on since it was in another language but the gist of it was that this guy (famous actor or something) got married to this girl (a playwright or writer of some type) against either of their wishes (don't know how or even why – the episode I saw was halfway through the series). Thus the basic plot of my story was born!

Author's Note: Hi everyone! This is not my first piece of fanfiction (I have quite a few over at SD-1) but it is my first time posting here so I am a little nervous. I adore reviews - the speed of my updates do depend on the number of reviews I get so if you like this, please let me know! Also, I don't have a beta so I apologize if there are any mistakes - although there shouldn't be, you never know... I welcome criticism, as long as it is constructive - those of you who happen to not like my story, for whatever the reason may be, I just want to remind you that no one is forcing you to read this.

Well, now that we've gotten that over with, let's continue on with the story!

Chapter One

"You can't be serious!"

Julian sighed for what felt like a millionth time that day. "I wish I were joking. I'm not."

Eric, Julian's best friend, couldn't believe what he was hearing. "But... this is you we're talking about!"

"You don't think I know that?"

Silence fell upon the room until the latter broke it softly with a question. "So what are you going to do?"

Julian spoke with determination. "What I have to do. Not like I believe in love or marriage anyways. I'm sure there's someone out there who will comply with the wishes I plan to draw up in an ironclad contract."

Eric looked at his best friend in disbelief before replying, "Good luck. You'll need it."

Few hours ago...

"He is still trying to screw up my life, even from beyond the grave!" The younger man paced in front of the roaring fire, agitation clearly written in the usually impassive face.

"Julian, calm yourself."

"Calm myself? You want me to calm myself? This stupid will is forbidding me to be the next king and you want me to calm myself? I have worked way too hard for far too long to not fulfill my destiny. Find a way to get me out of this predicament. NOW."

The older man opposite Julian Aidan Sark Lazarey opened his mouth to reply but couldn't say the actual words.

"WHAT?" The older man flinched at hearing Julian's tone. He may have been the beloved godfather and advisor but even he did not dare to overestimate his position in his godson's eyes.

"You're not going to like this..."

About a year later...

"Sydney! Wait up!"

Sydney slowed but did not stop in her quick pace to her parents' home. "What is it Fran? I'm kind of in a hurry. Mom needs to see me asap."

Francie, Sydney's best friend since they were in diapers, stopped to lean against the corridor of an UCLA building before replying. "Don't forget that you're coming with Will and I tonight to see Charlie off!"

"Do I really have to? I don't feel like going out tonight," replied Sydney, a frown marring her features.

Francie sighed overexaggerratedly. "Syd! You haven't felt like going out in over a month! I know Vaughn hurt you – for which he'll pay as soon as I can come up with the worst possible punishment for him, EVER – but sweetie, it's been over a month. You need to move on, meet new people!"

"Look, I really thought he was the one for me, okay? And I was foolish enough to believe that maybe he felt the same way about me. This isn't going to go away overnight. I found him with Lauren of all people! I mean... if he had to cheat on me, couldn't it have been with someone else? Why did it have to be her?"

"I don't know. I'm not an expert on Vaughn and we both know that he is a deranged lunatic who is worse than pond scum."

Sydney smiled at her overprotective friend. "I know you're trying to make me feel better and I really appreciate it Fran. But I need to deal with this on my own and I don't think going out and dating right now is the best way to do that."

"Okay. I understand. So what if it's just the two of us?"

"Honey, I'm sure everything's fine with Charlie. He's not Vaughn."

"I know. You're right. I'll see you later, okay?"

"Have fun tonight!"

"Mom? Where are you?"

"I'm in the kitchen!"

Sydney's face broke into a grin as she caught a whiff of her mother's famous chocolate chip cookies. "What's the occasion?"

"What? There has to be an occasion for a mother to bake her favourite daugher cookies?"

"Well, first of all, I'm your only daughter. Second of all, you haven't baked me cookies since I was like 6. Plus, you told me to come to your house as soon as humanly possible. Spill."

Irina purposely took another bite to stall for time while she came up with a good way to say what she wanted to ask of her daughter.

"Well, you know Mr. Khasinau and Mr. Lazarey? My old friends from college?" At Sydney's nod, she continued in a nonchalant tone. "Well, Lazarey passed away about a year ago and his son has been trying to find a wife. It seems he is... selective - as he should be – but it appears there is a time contstraint to the will his father left him. He has less than two weeks to get engaged to be married or else his inheritance will fall to his nearest cousin."

Sydney looked at her mother suspiciously. "And what does this have to do with me?"

"Well, I know that whole fiasco with Vaughn has left you feeling... vulnerable and hurt and I figured this might be a good way to get away from it all."

Sydney choked on her milk. "You're serious? You want me to marry a complete stranger just so he can get his money?"

"Honey, there's a lot more at stake here than that and he's not a complete stranger! You've met Julian."

"When? When I was like 6? That does not count!"

"You'll be living in Europe. I thought you wanted to go!"

"I do, but I don't want to get married!"

"It won't be a real marriage – even the certificate will be fake! It's just for pretend and only for a year. You get to see Europe and go to all the places you wanted to see and he'll get his inheritance. Plus, Vaughn will get so jealous he'll see the light, so to speak."

"Mom, this is insane."

"I know, but I'm asking this as a favour to me. Sweetie, he's to be the next king and I know he'd be wonderful. His cousin cannot lay a claim to the throne."

Sydney sighed. "What did dad say?"

"I was supposed to tell him?"

Sydney smiled slightly at that. "I can't believe I'm even thinking about this! I must be losing my mind."

"It'll be good for you and you know it! Who knows? Maybe you and Julian will actually fall in love and you can get married for real!"

"Mom, I haven't even agreed to this yet."

"I believe the key word there is "yet". You will. Don't worry."

The next day...

"WHAT?"

Sydney cringed at hearing the sharp tone in her ear. "I'm getting married?"

"Sydney Anne Bristow!"

"What?"

"Tell me you're joking!"

"Fran, I'm being serious. I'm getting married."

"Oh my god. OH MY GOD. OH MY GOD!"

"What? What's wrong?"

"You're getting married? To who? And why wasn't I told? Wait a minute. Last night, you told me that you didn't feel like dating. Was it all a cover? I can't believe this! I'm your best friend and you couldn't tell me? Why the hell not?"

Sydney tried to remember all the details her mother and Mr. Khasinau came up with as soon as she agreed to this crazy plan. "Because of who he is. I'm getting married to Julian Lazarey."

When the phone became silent, Sydney began to worry. "Fran? You there?"

"You're marrying royalty? You're going to be queen! SYDNEY!!! Tell me all the details! When are you getting married? Don't forget all the little people once you move into your palace. Wait a minute – are you going to finish college or are you just going to live off being a queen for the rest of your life? What..."

"FRAN! Stop! Look, I'm on my way to the jet and I don't have the time to tell you the whole story. Since you're going to be my maid of honour, you can come earlier and while we plan this thing, I'll tell you everything you want to know. Just make sure you or Will don't tell the press anything, okay?"

"Of course! Wow... I cannot wait to tell Will! Oh, poor guy – you know how he has such a huge crush on you. And Vaughn! He's going to milk the whole "I dated a queen" thing for all its worth! And..."

"Fran! I got to go. I'll call you when I get there, okay?"

"You'd better. YOU'RE GETTING MARRIED!!!"

Sydney hung up her cell phone and leaned back against the huge stretch limo that picked her up from her parents' home. _Wish I could be that enthusiastic... You'd think I'm marching to my death right now instead of to the supposedly happiest days of my life. Can't believe dad even agreed with mom on this... Wonder what she threatened him with..._

Flashback to last night

"How much of Julian's history do you know?" Irina asked as they prepared Jack's favourite meal.

"Not much. I know his mother was half British royalty and half French royalty, and his father was Russian royalty but nothing much after that. Oh, and the fact that his combined fortune will top even the world's richest man."

"He'll only lay claim to the British throne if Charles passes away – so it looks like he still has to wait for that one – but the French and Russian thrones are his."

"I see. So do I have to do anything? I know pretty much nothing about politics."

"You don't have to worry about that. Alexander assures me that all you have to do is learn how to act like royalty for functions but otherwise, you're free to travel and relax."

"You'll visit, won't you? Considering I can't tell Fran the truth, it would be nice to have someone who knows the truth there."

"Of course! Now, come on, your father's waiting. Time to work the magic."

Once the meal was over and the last piece of the pie eaten, Sydney spoke. "Dad, I'm getting married."

Irina looked up sharply at that, sighing and shaking her head at the way her daughter broke the news to her father. "Jack, help me put this stuff away in the kitchen."

Without blinking, Jack stood up and he gripped the plates so hard the china cracked as he headed into the kitchen followed by Irina.

Half an hour later, he came out and without any preamble, spoke. "Vaughn was just a boy who was never good enough for you anyways. This'll do you both good."

End Flashback

The plane landed at the private airfield smoothly but Sydney felt like she just got off a rollercoaster. _God I hope I made the right choice... Here goes nothing_.


	2. Chapter Two

Yay I've got reviews! And it's only been like 24 hours... Thank you guys!! Sorry - reviews make me very happy...

And **arientindomerel **- Vaughn cheated on Sydney so in that sense, he's a bad guy... As for Noah, you'll see later on what role he plays...

Anyways, here's the next chapter - it's a bit short so I apologize. I promise the next one will be much longer. Enjoy!

Chapter Two  
  
As soon as Sydney stepped off the plane, she became surrounded by security. "What's going on?"  
  
The men didn't answer – instead, they quickly ushered her to yet another limo before slamming the door in her face. Startled and anxious, she took a quick sweep and noticed she wasn't alone – two men were seated across from her, an older gentleman about her father's age and a younger one who she guessed was her supposed husband-to-be.  
  
"I apologize for the lack of a better welcome but unfortunately we are pressed for time. I am Alexander Khasinau, first advisor to his majesty and this of course is his majesty himself, Prince Julian."  
  
"Um... Hi."  
  
Sydney could not have been more nervous and Prince Julian wasn't helping matters. He looked as if he'd rather drink gasoline than get married – a feeling she shared unequivocally. Although she was expecting him to be handsome from the various pictures she had seen of him over the years, she had to admit to herself that the photos didn't do nearly enough justice. He looked good. Real good. _Too bad he's acting like a complete prick though. He probably thinks he's god's gift to women and men everywhere._ Thankfully, before she could feel even more uncomfortable and inadequate in "his royal highness'" presence, Khasinau spoke.  
  
"I don't know how much Irina has told you but we re really grateful for your assistance in this sensitive matter. My prince's late father was a rather strict man and very set in his ways. He firmly believed that to rule and to have the respect of the people, one must be knowledgeable in many ways, including that of being in a marriage. His only stipulation for the throne was that the prince be engaged to be married within the year. My prince has looked for a wife but found none to be suitable and so I offered an alternative. I will personally be performing the ceremony – it will make it easier for us to fake it – and you will spend the next two weeks before the announcement of the engagement in training."  
  
"Training?" Sydney asked quietly, her face slightly paling as the various scenarios of what the training might entail ran through her head.  
  
"Yes. You must be fully prepared for the duties of a queen. Though Irina has assured me she has taught you well – she has informed me you are very fluent in quite a few languages and are well-versed in many forms of dancing and general etiquette - we cannot allow any room for error. These are delicate times and my prince's cousin will do everything in his power to discredit either yourself or my prince. And of course, the two weeks will be used to allow yourselves to become familiar with each other."  
  
"I see. And where are we headed?"  
  
"To a small estate of my prince's late mother."  
  
The rest of the car ride was spent in awkward silence. Khasinau had decided to move up to the front to allow the "couple" to spend time together but Sydney couldn't figure out what to say to "his royal highness" that didn't make her sound completely nuts or stupid and Julian obviously wasn't exactly the talkative type.  
  
Not at all too soon, they arrived at the estate and Sydney gasped when she laid eyes on the beauty around her. The beautiful mansion (for that is what it was) was surrounded by acres of field in all directions. _Khasinau said this was small! If this is small, I wonder how big the palace is going to be... _The driveway to the front of the house was outlined by tall trees and the centrepiece of it all was a beautiful statue of Aphrodite, completely made up of white marble. While she was busy admiring the surroundings, Julian stepped out of the car and without a word headed off into the house.  
  
_The nerve! I'm doing this just so he can become king and what do I get? A cold shoulder! Who does he think he is? Well, he is the king... but still!_  
  
Khasinau, seeing what just transpired, smiled apologetically at Sydney before following Julian into the house. Deciding that it would be easier to just forget about it and leave it be, she followed them.  
  
"My prince, if I may have a word?"  
  
At Julian's nod, he closed the door and lost the formalities. "Miss Bristow is doing us a great favour. You should not treat her as if she were beneath you. She is not only beautiful but also extremely well-tempered and intelligent. We are lucky that she has agreed to do this! Julian, she is to be your wife, even if it is only for show. You need to show her respect – otherwise, she'll leave and where would we be?"  
  
"She is beneath me! I am trying my best to work in this impossible situation – if I appear to be a little short and rude, so be it but I am at the end of my patience."  
  
"It is only for a year. You know her mother – she is a great woman and I have no doubts that her daughter takes after her. Treat her daughter well or else you will lose your throne!"  
  
That night...  
  
"Miss Bristow, may I have a minute?"  
  
"Of course your highness." Although Sydney tried her best to sound sincere, she could still hear a bit of sarcasm in her tone. _And so did he by the look he's giving me. I'm so glad looks can't kill._  
  
Julian led them both to his office and to Sydney's surprise, he sat across from her on a couch instead of sitting behind the imposing desk.  
  
"Let's get something straight. I am the future King and you are to treat me as such. I will not tolerate disrespect, especially not from a woman who isn't even fit to be within these walls let alone those of the palace. That being said, Alex believes you are perfect for this role. He has incredible respect for your mother, as do I – which is the only reason why you are still here. You will do as you're told, and your life will be made that much easier. Disobey me or embarrass me and you will see why they fear me. Don't even try to blackmail or threaten me – I can discredit you so fast it'll make me look like a hero for even putting up with you long enough for there to have been a marriage. You'll get all the details you need to know about me tomorrow morning from Alex. Memorize them. If it all works out well, we won't need to see each other until the day of our "wedding". That would certainly be a blessing. We're done. You may leave."  
  
Sydney was so furious that she couldn't speak for a full minute. Julian didn't even acknowledge her – he was reading from a folder, completely ignoring her. She wanted to yell at him, tell him where he could shove it all – but then she remembered that not only did her mother known him, she also liked him. She must have seen something about him worth knowing. Besides, she did tell her mother she would see this through and she wasn't exactly the type to quit when the going got tough. _Except I am more than willing to quit in this case._ Clearing her throat, she waited until he looked up at her. Ignoring his look of annoyance, she spoke calmly, calling upon the training her mother had ingrained on her since even before she could speak properly.  
  
"What about the details you need to know about me? After all, no one's going to believe that you are marrying me for "love" if you know nothing about me."  
  
"I'll make them up," replied Julian, barely giving it a second thought as he focused back on his folder.  
  
Sydney fumed at that – if there was one thing she hated the most, it was being ignored or disregarded as if she were inferior and useless. "I don't think so. Look. You may be the future King – which I don't give a rat's ass about by the way – but you don't own me. I am here, taking valuable time out of my busy life for you at my mother's request. Keep acting this way and I'll be out of here faster than you can blink. I don't care if you discredit me – those who are important already know the truth. It won't matter a thing to me what anyone else thinks – but you won't be the king. Which might be a good thing considering what an ass you are - the people are better off with your cousin as their leader. Don't disrespect me or treat me in this manner again."  
  
With that, she stormed out of his office, fuming at the way she was being treated. _If he doesn't change, I don't care what my mother wants – I'm out of here._  
  
Julian was surprised. Still staring at the door that had been slammed in his presence – something that has never happened before – he began to chuckle. _Talk about a temper. Irina really has taught her well. She might just do after all._


End file.
